Carers Australia is governed by a Board of directors, consisting of eight directors nominated by the member state and territory carer organisations. Additional directors may be co-opted on the basis of their skills and experience.
The Board of Directors are responsible for the governance of the organisation. The Chief Executive Officer is responsible for its management
David Quilty is a successful strategist, trusted adviser and corporate affairs executive who has served with distinction at the highest levels of government, business and national industry associations for 25 years.
He served as National CEO of the Pharmacy Guild for more than six years and the national head of corporate affairs and government relations at Telstra for five years. David has led multi-billion-dollar negotiations, driven significant regulatory and policy change, run major national campaigns, advocated in the public arena, built organisational reputation and community and stakeholder support, and successfully led large and diverse teams.
Chief of staff and senior adviser at the highest level of the Federal Government working for a Prime Minister, Cabinet Minister and the Cabinet Office over ten years, he provides policy, political, legislative and tactical campaign advice across a broad range of portfolios, including communications, information technology, industrial relations, health, aged care, disability services, indigenous affairs, immigration, the environment and the arts.
Sue brings invaluable expertise in human service delivery, human centred design, public policy and corporate governance from a range of senior executive roles spanning 30 years in the public and not-for-profit sectors. She is passionate about public policy that contributes to innovative and quality services that deliver real outcomes for people.
Sue served as Chief Executive Officer for Colony 47 Incorporated and as a member of the Senior Executive Service at the National Disability Insurance Agency, including Tasmanian State Manager. She worked for the Commonwealth Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs in Canberra where her focus was on closing the gap, housing, disaster recovery and the National Partnership Agreement for remote Indigenous Housing.
She has also held the positions of President of the Tasmanian Council of Social Service, Vice President of the Australian Council of Social Service and President of Tagari Lia Community Living and Nexus Inc. Sue continues to serve as a non-executive director on a number of not-for-profit boards.
She joined the Board of Carers Australia in November 2021, representing Carers Tasmania.
Linda is a non-executive director and Principal of a strategic communications and marketing business. She has over 40 years’ experience in communications and marketing, both in the public and private sectors, and 25 years’ experience as a Board member with several organisations.
Linda has a Master of Arts (Communications) degree from Monash University and currently sits on the Board of Carers WA. She cared for both her mother and father, her mother having suffered a stroke and her father being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s soon after.
Linda joined the Carers Australia Board in April 2020.
Tony has enjoyed an executive career in three organisations over his working life, NAB and State Trustees, with his most recent role being CEO of the Centacare, Catholic Diocese of Ballarat and Centacare Housing Services. Tony retired from Centacare Ballarat in December 2020 and is now engaged in a number of Board roles in the not for profit and charitable sectors
As CEO of Centacare and Centacare Housing Services Tony was committed to advocating and increasing social and affordable housing on behalf of the homelessness, unemployed and disability sector. He strived to ensure Centacare continued to deliver a broad range of quality programs to clients across the Diocese of Ballarat, some of these programs include Family Relationships Services, School Support, Supported Residential services, Family Mental Health Support Services, Juvenile Justice, Victims of Crime and Employment. Families, children and individuals have all benefitted from his management and advocacy of over 54 programs. He was a member of the Board of CatholicCare Victoria Tasmania, the Australian Catholic Housing Alliance, and was the former Chair of the Central Highlands Family Services Alliance.
As Managing Director of State Trustees he spent over 11 years looking after people with a legally recognised mental or intellectual incapacity and managing all of their financial and legal affairs under statutory appointment from VCAT. State Trustees employs 450 people and has a gross revenue of approximately $65m, having grown from approximately $42m when Tony became MD.
Prior to joining State Trustees Tony spent over 25 years at the NAB both domestically and overseas working in senior positions in Marketing, Credit and Strategy & Planning. Tony has also enjoyed a secondment to the NAB’s former subsidiary in Northern Ireland.
Tony joined the Board of Carers Australia in January 2024, representing Carers Victoria.
David Fagan has been a decade-long director of Carers Queensland and is a former editor-in-chief of Queensland’s largest media outlet, The Courier-Mail. He is the author of four books and has worked as both an advisor and executive in the higher education and superannuation sectors since leaving full time work in the media. He is a
Graduate of the AICD, serves as Qld chair of the National Heart Foundation and is a councilor of the Royal National Association which runs Queensland’s largest community event , the Ekka.
David joined the Board of Carers Australia in January 2024, representing Carers Queensland.
With over 25 years of experience in the Vocational Education sector, Terry McEvoy is known for his strategic, operational, and leadership expertise.
In his current role as the Director of the Built Environment and Sustainability program area at RMIT University, Terry is engaged in developing and delivering high-quality strategic priorities and programs, as well as enriching teaching and learning experiences for young people from diverse range of backgrounds.
With a career spent working with young people entering the workforce, often for the very first time and a committed volunteer in local sport, Terry has developed a passion for ensuring that people are enabled to feel safe and respected. He is committed to learning and supporting a positive approach to strong mental health and suicide prevention.
A graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Terry works across a number of mental health organisations including Mind Blank, The IF Foundation, Aquinas Old Collegians Football club and in the past has been a serving board member and chair of Brodies Law foundation and served on the board of the Victorian Amateur Football Association.
Phil has extensive experience in developing and delivering high quality services to help people overcome social disadvantage. This has included ensuring successful development and implementation of long-term strategies for social change at state and national levels.
With over 35 years’ experience undertaking key CEO, Executive, Board and strategic management roles, he has shaped strategy and policy for not-for-profit organisations at both the Federal and State levels.
Phil was appointed to the Carers Australia Board in November 2024 by Carers South Australia.
Janina is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the University of Sydney Student Union, having formerly held Chief Operating Officer roles at ReachOut Australia, a digital youth mental health service and Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Australia’s preeminent cardiovascular research institute. She brings more than 30 years of experience as a senior executive in the not-for-profit, government and corporate sectors.
Janina has a Bachelor of Arts/Law from UNSW and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Sydney. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She has served as a Director of UNSW and Parkinson’s NSW, and has acted in an advisory capacity for several not-for-profit boards.
She joined the Board of Carers Australia in February 2025 as the Carers NSW member appointed Director where she is a current Director.
Ian is an independent advocate and advisor on public policy in ageing, specialising in aged care, retirement living and retirement income policy. He is the principal of the consultancy CONSULT.AGEING. From January 2023 to January 2025 Ian was Acting Inspector-General of Aged Care in the Commonwealth Government. Prior to that Ian was Chief Executive of COTA Australia, the peak organisation for older Australians, and formerly Chief Executive of COTA SA 1989 – 2013.
Ian has been Chair of the Aged Care Council of Elders, a member of the National Aged Care Advisory Council, the Aged Care Quality and Safety Advisory Council, the Aged Care Financing Authority, the Aged Care Workforce Strategy Taskforce, the Aged Care Sector Committee and its Aged Care Roadmap Committee, the ASIC Consumer Advisory Panel, the ACCC Consumer Committee, the Board of Livable Housing Australia, the ATO Superannuation Industry Stewardship Group, and other federal bodies. He served on a number of hospital and regional health boards in SA and was a member of the SA Health Performance Council, Chair of the Cancer Council SA, and for 20 years a member of Flinders University Council, including 7 years as Deputy Chancellor. He is a Doctor of the University and Emeritus Deputy Chanceller, and a Member in the Order of Australia.
Ian is an Independent Board Director of the Carers Australia Board.